FTW - Homemade Crab Cakes

In the mood for some crab cakes, I decided to make my own the other night, which turned out to be a real treat.  Making my own crab cakes once before for Dan's and my anniversary, I remembered how tasty they came out and wanted to recreate them.

Buying a generous amount of lump crab from Whole Foods, I mixed it in with ingredients such as red bell peppers, scallions, lemon mayo and an egg.  It was relatively easy to do and the result was a creamy delicious cake on the inside with a slightly crispy exterior.  Even though I didn't technically bread these, I dredged them in a bit of flour to create that nice outside texture.

The last step was to lay these on top of a simple arugula salad, which I then topped with a few slices of creamy avocados.  I made a total of 6 crab cakes, which were all gone by the end of the evening.  Mission accomplished.

Crab cake recipe, courtesy of Paula Deen

Foodista Interviews Paula Deen & The Neelys

After my interview with Food Network's Sandra Lee, I was pretty much on cloud nine because not only did I get to meet one of my favorite Food Network personalities, but I also got some great press out of it.

This past weekend however, delivered more high-profile food interviews, as I got to speak with some of my favorite Down South cooks - the Mama of Southern Cooking herself, Paula Deen and the adorable BBQ-lovin' couple, Pat & Gina Neely from Neely's BBQ and the show, Down Home with the Neelys.  I also met with the Ace of Cakes, Duff Goldman and his creative team from Charm City Cakes, but I'll save that for my next post.

What's the Occasion?
The interviews were held at this year's Great American Food & Music Festival, which aims to showcase the best regional food throughout the country.  In addition to the talent I mention below, you had restaurants from all over the country, featuring signature dishes that put them on the map in their particular market.  Restaurants such as:

Al's Beef, Chicago, IL
All Star Sandwich Bar, Cambridge, MA
Anchor Bar, Buffalo, NY

Dandy's Don Ice Cream, Van Nuys, CA
Goldie's Churros, Los Angeles, CA
Harding Lee Smith's, The Front Room, The Corner Room, Grill Room & Bar, Portland, ME
Hell's Kitchen, Minneapolis, MN

Jim's Steaks, Philadelphia, PA
Johnson's Boucaniere, Lafayette, LA
Louis Lunch, New Haven, CT
Neely's BBQ, Memphis TN

Pizzeria Uno, Chicago, IL

Southside Market BBQ, Elgin TX
Ted Drewes, St. Louis, MO
Tony Luke's, Philadelphia, PA
Turtle Alley, Gloucester, MA
Tuscon Tamales, Tuscon, AZ
Willie Mae's Scotch House, New Orleans, LA
Windy City Eats, Weymouth, MA

Zoe's Cupcake Cafe, Teaneck, NJ

The Interviews:
I met with Paula Deen and The Neely's after their respective meet & greets, where they graciously took pictures, signed cookbooks and chatted with their biggest fans.  It was so nice to see them interact with eager audiences who not only loved them, but truly admired their work. 

Both Paula Deen and the Neely's had the most wonderful energy and had the infectious power of electrifying the room as soon as they came in.  And after speaking to them on a one-on-one basis, I was duly impressed by their enthusiasm, sense of humor and sincerity in answering my questions.  While the Neely's were more playful and jovial, Paula's interview was heartfelt and inspirational.  It really gave some insight into her soul and how she's gotten where she is today.  Oh and don't worry, she answers some questions about butter too!

Paula Deen Interview
The Neely's Interview